This disclosure relates to ranking video advertisements.
The Internet provides for the targeting of advertisements (“ads”) to receptive audiences. For example, some websites provide information search functionality that is based on keywords entered by a user seeking information. This user query can be an indicator of the type of information of interest to the user. By comparing the user query to a list of keywords specified by an advertiser, it is possible to provide targeted ads to the user.
Another form of online advertising is ad syndication, which allows advertisers to extend their marketing reach by distributing ads to additional partners. For example, third party online publishers can place an advertiser's text or image ads on web properties with desirable content to drive online customers to the advertiser's website.
In some online advertising systems, advertisers bid for their ads on a Cost-Per-Click (CPC) basis. A common way for advertisers to set a CPC is to take a target Cost-Per-Action (CPA) and multiply the CPA by an average conversion rate on a keyword. CPA is an online advertising Return-On-Investment (ROI) metric in which return is based solely on qualifying actions, such as a sale or registration, as measured against the marketing costs associated with reaching that sale or registration.
Such evaluation metrics, however, may not be indicative of the performance of an advertisement, particularly if the advertisement is a video advertisement. For example, a user may enter a query and a video ad may be served that appears highly relevant to the user's query, and the user may thus click on the ad to watch the video. However, the video may be of poor quality, may be directed to subject matter not related to the associated advertisement, or may include other content that causes a poor user experience. As a result, the user may only view a small portion of the video advertisement, which may not be beneficial to the advertiser or the publisher.